Manziel Loser, Rice Winner: College Football’s Week 1

Loser: Knucklehead. Selfish. Empowered. Distasteful. Disrespectful. Which college quarterback do you think we might be talking about? Those were just some of the words used on the national sports talk shows Sunday to describe Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel after his behavior during Saturday’s 52-31 victory at Kyle Field over Rice. After watching countless replays, it’s possible some of it was merely innocent jawing that goes on between college football players. But some of it undoubtedly was “disrespectful” to his opponents, his coaches, the game. ESPN college football analyst Trevor Matich, a former player, called him “emotionally out of control, a detriment to his team emotionally.” It might have helped if Manziel had been allowed to clarify afterward, but, Texas A&M officials didn’t make him available to the media. Let’s hope they do during their weekly media session Tuesday.

Winner: That 52-31 score might not be interpreted by some as a win for Rice. I don’t think the Owls viewed it as a win. But they were down by only seven at halftime and might have been more competitive in the second half if not for two interceptions in the first seven passes of the third quarter by quarterback Taylor McHargue. They didn’t do much to slow Manziel, but he doesn’t play defense. The final score could have been closer. My colleague who covers the Owls, Joseph Duarte, believes they could win between eight and 10 games this season. If they play as well as they did against the Aggies, I’ll take the between and say nine.

Winner: BCS. Not many college football fans have kind words for the BCS, but it certainly beats the system it replaced that determined national champions by polls after bowl games whose opponents were largely chosen either by conference alignments or which teams would bring more fans to the host cities. Every week in the college football season today is important, even Week One. We’ve already had at least one game, Clemson’s victory over Georgia, with national championship implications.

Loser: BCS. Poor Georgia. The Bulldogs lost to Clemson and might lose again next Saturday at South Carolina, virtually eliminating them from national title contention. They would have a much better chance with the system to be implemented after this season that will conclude with a four-team playoff.

Winner: FCS. If you don’t know what that stands for, that’s OK. Basically, think of it as Division II. Seven of those teams beat Division I teams in the opening weekend. They also were well paid for it, between $275,000 and $450,000, because that’s the reason they agree to travel to play the larger schools. Eastern Washington not only won, 49-46, against a top 25 team in Oregon State, only the third time in history one of the smaller schools has beaten a ranked team, but took home a check for $450,000. It doesn’t always work out for the littles against the bigs. Baylor beat Wofford, 69-3. Georgia Tech beat Elon, 70-0.

Winner: Charlotte, making its football debut, beat the Fighting Camels of Campbell University, 52-7. The 49ers will spend two seasons in the FCS, then join Rice and others in Conference USA. Houston Baptist’s debut wasn’t as successful, a 74-0 loss to Sam Houston State. Perhaps HBU shouldn’t have been so ambitious in choosing an opponent. Sam Houston finished as runnerup in 2011 and 2012 in the FCS playoffs to North Dakota State, which upset Kansas State on Friday night.